The Source - Spring 2009 - (Page 9)

first person Paving the way to America’s energy future America is energy rich and energy diverse. Yet, we import 70 percent of our oil, much of it from countries that have little regard for our way of life and have demonstrated a willingness to withhold energy and use it as leverage. Nearly 70 percent of the oil we consume fuels our transportation sector. In this edition of The SOURCE, There's No Place Like Home, The Road to Energy Security, we examine several energy challenges and opportunities America must address to achieve energy security. Oil best exemplifies America’s overreliance on one fuel source. Until we reduce our dependence on oil by replacing it with a diverse mix of domestically produced fuels, America will never become energy independent. Now, and into the foreseeable future, whether gasoline is $1.50 or $4.50 per gallon, 70 cents of every dollar Americans spend for gasoline leaves our country and fi nds its way into the pockets of foreign governments and corporations. Renewed vision and creative thinking must change the way we use energy. Here is one vision for the future that all but abandons gasoline-fueled passenger and fleet vehicles: natural gas hybrids and, even, natural gas plug-in hybrids. Do we have to wait until 2025? Do we have to wait until more technology is developed? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding “no.” It will take strong and decisive public policy leadership from President Obama and the Congress to pave a new road to American energy security. We believe that natural gas must be the fi rst brick laid on that road, as it is a clean, responsible, abundant, American fuel for the foreseeable future. In this issue of The SOURCE, Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman outlines ways for Congress to design energy and climate change policies that shift America’s energy infrastructure to low-carbon and domestic fuels, while protecting consumers and ratepayers in the process (p. 12). APGA agrees that consumers should be put fi rst when lawmakers design a new climate-change policy. We also must remember that Americans hardest hit by higher energy prices are most often those customers least able to pay. On page 20, Andy Colosimo from Colorado Springs Utilities discusses the critical role the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) plays in meeting the needs of low- and fixed-income consumers. Solutions to America’s energy future are being developed in cities all across the nation. In one natural gas marketing success story, Richmond, Virginia’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) used marketing efforts to successfully expand its service throughout the county, where it now provides natural gas to the growing number of residential and commercial developments (p. 16). Change begins at home. APGA Chairman Mike Comstock explains in his editorial that APGA member participation in both local and federal advocacy efforts can impact real policy change in Washington (p. 42). Only through coordinated actions by members can APGA be effectively engaged in the significant energy debates before Congress and at the regulatory agencies. For this reason, I urge you to attend this year’s Government Relations Conference in D.C. in early May. Now, more than ever, it is important that the voice of public gas systems be heard loud and clear in the halls of government. Thanks, President & CEO American Public Gas Association THE SOURCE | SPRING 2009 , VOL. 1, ISSUE 3 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Source - Spring 2009

The Source - Spring 2009 Contents First Person APGA Events Q&A: One-on-One with Senator Jeff Bingaman Great Malls Think Alike The Economy and Your Customers Member to Member New Technology: Saving Energy Never Felt So Good New Technology: Get Pumped! Legislative Outlook The Pipeline Advertiser.com Advertisers' Index At Last

The Source - Spring 2009

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